An assessment of transportation issues under exceptional conditions: the case of the mass media and the Northridge earthquake

Journal of Transportation and Statistics
[May 1998]

Gould, Jane
.

Copyright (c) 1998 Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Abstract: This study explores how the mass media covered transportation issues following the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The mass media were a vital channel for travel information, and they provided considerable information to the public about thesafety of travel, alternative routes, and new travel modes. Using a methodology known as content analysis, it was found that the broadcast media also presented considerable detail and imagery about devastation to the transportation system atlarge. This study concludes that an alternative to the commercial mass media may be useful, since the implication from this research is that a vital part of disaster recovery rests in the dissemination of balanced transportation news and stories.

A number of news agencies provided data, including KNBC of Burbank, California, the Nexis research service, the The Los Angeles Times Poll, the Vanderbilt Television News Archive, and AVR Services. Research support was
provided by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics Northridge Earthquake Grant.